The Learning Connection: The Value of Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in Our Schools - A majority of youth in the United States are eating unhealthy food and leading inactive lifestyles, negatively impacting both their long-term health and classroom learning. Additionally, schools face rising costs as they are forced to help students whose academic performance or behavior suffers due to these problems. The authors argue that schools further exacerbate this problem by placing unhealthy foods in vending machines that compete with healthier school meal programs. Improved nutritional offerings and physical activity in the nationís schools would improve studentsí academic achievement and health in addition to reducing costs to the schools and the nation. An executive summary also is available. (Action for Healthy Kids, 2004)...